Fence-post



(ModeL) WQH. GATES. FENCE POST.

No. 322,172. Patented Ju1 214, 1885;

DWENTOR: 9W1! WITNESSES ATTORNEYS.

UNTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

NVILLIAM HENRY GATES, OF JESUP, IOWA.

FENCE-POST.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 322,172, dated July 14, 1885.

Application filed March 5, 1885. (Model.) I

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM HENRY GATES, of J esup, in the county of Buchanan and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Fence-Posts, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to fences for lands; and has for its object to facilitate the erection and lessen the cost of such structures.

The invention consists in particular constructions of the fence-posts, and the combination therewith of base-plates or ground-anchors of peculiar form, and in the connections of the horizontal fence wires or rails with the fence-posts, all as hereinafter fully described and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure l is a perspective view of my improved metal fence-post with the fence-wires in place. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the fence-post with its base partly in section, the fence-wires also being in section; and Fig. 3 is a plan view of a modified construction of the base of the fence-post.

The letter A indicates the base or groundanchor of the fence-post, which base, for use where the ground is comparatively hardor solid, will be made of asingle plate of metal about two feet long and two inches wide, and

bent down at right angles at opposite ends, so as to presenta top portion, a, of about twelve or fourteen inches in length, which will rest on the ground-surface when the bent end parts or prongs a a are driven into the ground, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Where the ground is soft or marshy, I prefer to use the base or ground anchor B shown in Fig. 3, and which consists of a pair of metal plates, 1) b, having downwardly-bent ends to enter the ground, and crossed centrally over each other, so as to have large surface-contact with the ground. The top portion of the base A (or the top portion of the base B, when the latter is used) will have as many holes made through it as there are rods in the fence-post proper, which it supports.

I show, and will particularly describe, a fence-post having three uprights or rods, 0 D

and the three horizontal wires of the fence. The rods 0 D Ewill ordinarily be made of iron about three-eighths of an inch in diameter; but lighter or heavier rods may be used, as the character of the fence shall require; and at the top of the rods 0 D E open eyes a d 0, respectively, are formed by bending the rods by any suitable tool, the eyes being preferably bent over alittle to one side, as shown clearly in Fig. 1. The fence-post rods 0 D E are to be interwoven with each other and the fencewires as the fence is erected, and preferably in the following manner: The bases or anchors A of the fence are to be set in and on ground I in the line of the fence, and the first post-rods, C, will be driven through the holes 1 at one side of the centers of bases A, and the lowest fencewire, F, will be raised, so as to be supported within the eyes 0 at the tops of rods 0. The next highest post-rods, D, then will be passed through the eyes 0 of rods 0, and will .be driven into the ground I through holes 3, made at the other side of the centers of the bases A, and the next higher fence-wire, G, will be lifted into the eyes d, formed at the tops of rods D. Then the highest post-rods, E, will be passed through the eyes d c of rods D O, and will be driven into the ground I through the center holes, 2, and between the rods CD, and the highest fence-wires, H, will be lifted into the eyes 6, formed at the tops of rods E. It will understood that after the fence-wires are lifted into the several eyes at the tops of the post-rods the eyes and rods are to be turned or twisted one-quarter round or more, to allow the wires to settle into the eyes and be bound fast by them to complete the fence.

It is evident that great strength is given the fence-posts by the passage of all the higher rods of the posts through the eyes'of all their E. adapted to be interlocked with each other lower rods, causing the rodsto mutually brace each other, and by spreading the rods 0 D laterally from the rod E at the bottom of each post, the entire fence structure will be braced crosswise of the fence and will be very stiff, so as to stand firmly against violent winds and storms.

Any desired number of rods may be used in making the fence-posts, depending on the height of the fence and the spacing of the fence-wires. The ground-anchor B in Fig. 3

' IOO is shown with seven holes, indicating that seven rods are to be used in forming the fencepost which it is to support,and whatever number of the rods be used the higher rods will pass through the wire-holding eyes of the lower rods, as above explained.

Any style of plain or barbed fence-wire, or metallic ribbon, or wirenetting may be used with the posts as a fencing, the eyes at the tops of the post-rods being formed to inclose the fence wire or ribbon or the crossed or single wires of the netting, as will readily be understood.

When metal wires, ribbons, or netting are used with the fence-posts then fence will be fire-proof but light wooden rails may be bound in the eyes at the tops of the several rods of the fence-posts; or one or more wires and wooden rails may be used in making a composite fence of metal and wood, as may be desired.

It will be seen that in the construction of my improved fence no staples are used to bind the fence-wires; hence the wires are not weakened by the clamping action of staples, as when wires are strung along and fastened by staples to wooden posts, and the fence will be more durable, and the frost will have little effect to displace the posts.

The fence may be formed entirely ofthe rods 0 D E, driven into the ground and provided with eyes to support each other and the fence wires or rails, the ground-anchors A or B being dispensed with, and as may be practiced in erecting light fencing around garden-plats; but generally the ground-anchors willbe used.

I am aware that fence-posts have been formed of rods bent to form eyes for the reception of the rails or wires, and I therefore do not claim such invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A fence-post constructed with a series of rods having eyes formed at their upper ends to inclose the fence wires or rails, and the higher post-rods being passed through the wire or rail supporting eyes of thelower post-rods,in comsupporting eyes of the lower post-rods, in combination with a base or ground anchor having its ends bent downward to enter the ground, and provided with aseries of holes in its upper part through which the post-rods are driven into the ground, substantially as herein set forth.

3. The combination, in a fence, of the fence posts, consisting of rods OD E, having eyes 0d e, respectively, and driven into the ground at their spread lower ends, and the higher postrods being passed through the eyes ofthe lower post-rods, and the wires F G, H or rails passed through the eyes of the post-rods, substantial- 7o 1y as herein set forth.

4. The combination, in a fenoe,of the fenceposts consisting of rods 0 D E,having eyesc d c, respectively,and the higher'post-rods being passed through the eyes of the lower post-rods, the horizontal wires, F G H, or rails passed through the eyes of the post-rods,and the bases or ground anchors A, having holes through which the ends of the fence-post rods are driven into the ground, substantially as herein set forth.

5. The combination, in a fence of the fence posts, consisting of rods 0 D E, having eyes 0 d 6, respectively, and the higher post-rods being passed through the eyes of the lower post-rods, 8 5 the horizontal wires, F G H, or rails passed through the eyes of the post-rods,and the bases or ground anchors A, having bent ends entering the ground, and provided with a series of holes through which the fence-p0st rods are driven into the ground, substantially as herein set forth.

WILLIAM HENRY GATES.

Witnesses:

T. F. KENYON, O. M. NEWTON. 

